Escaping the Mystery Hotel-Chapter 240: Room 202, Cursed Room - ’The Little Mermaid’ (18)

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 102

Current Location: Floor 2, Room 202 – Cursed Room ‘The Little Mermaid’

Sage’s Advice: 2

- Han Kain

- Splash!

The damp, salty air tickled my nose, and every step I took was accompanied by a squelching sound that teased the ears.

- Click!

The light tap of my leg against a rock echoed loudly, filling the vast space around me.

We had entered the room in the desolate farm where the drones had tracked Lee Suho.

Beyond the door, the space that greeted us was none other than a coastal cave.

At this point, the absurdity of how a cave could exist beyond the door of a farmhouse didn’t even faze me.

Instead, I was more preoccupied with the unnaturally amplified sounds emanating from my own body since we stepped inside.

“Um… Everyone’s still here, right?”

Songee’s anxious voice broke the silence.

On the surface, her question seemed odd—none of us had wandered off.

But I understood her unease.

The cave felt so unnerving that even I couldn’t shake the fear that I might suddenly find myself alone.

There was no light source in the cave, and darkness enveloped everything.

I knew Ahri, wearing the Protective Suit nearby, had a headlamp emitting light.

Yet, inexplicably, the light seemed to diminish, unable to fully reach us.

“Hmm. Ahem. I apologize, but I’ll make periodic noises for everyone’s reassurance,” said the doctor.

Hearing his words, I realized we were all experiencing the same unsettling sensation.

A rhythmic clapping sound began to resonate.

- Clap! Clap! Clap!

…The difference in volume between the third and fourth claps was stark.

Suddenly, the distance between the doctor and me had widened significantly.

At that precise moment, the Chat Window flared up.

Lee Eunsol: Freeze! Freeze! Everyone, stay still until I get there!

What on earth is happening?

***

We waited.

Frozen in place, we waited for Eunsol-noona to arrive.

After a while, she finally came and guided each of us by hand.

As she led me by the hand, I finally understood the strange sensation I’d been feeling.

It was as if my body was veering left, then shooting upward, then downward, only to curve left again.

Is Noona walking erratically?

No, she was moving straight in the correct direction.

It was my senses that were disoriented.

This cave was designed to confuse human perception.

After three minutes, we were all close enough to hear each other breathing and feel the warmth of each other’s bodies.

Eunsol-noona quickly briefed us, “It seems this cave manipulates everyone’s senses, especially sight. I initially thought your erratic movements were due to tension, but the longer we walked, the more erratic your directions became. Eventually, everyone started heading in completely different directions.”

Grandpa quickly assessed the situation.

“You’re fine, aren’t you? Your sharp vision must be compensating for the other senses. Eunsol wear the Protective Suit and lead the way—everyone else, stick close together.”

“Let’s make deliberate noises as we move, When we get too quiet, we rely on the ambient sounds, which only adds to the sensory confusion.”

There was no point in moving silently.

Lee Suho was undoubtedly aware of our presence.

After regrouping, we resumed our journey, speaking as if we were back in the Hotel.

“Do you think this phenomenon was created by Lee Suho? What could it be—some magic granted by the Sea God?”

“Probably. But I doubt it’s just meant to make us lose our way.”

“I’m more curious about something else. Mooksung, did you tell Director Park where to go?”

“No. The drones pinpointed this location after we lost contact. But he’ll likely check the drones and head here anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“The real question is whether they’ll find their way through this cave. Honestly, I’m more concerned about Serenade’s group than the strike team arriving at night.”

Time was short, so we had no choice but to enter without waiting for support.

Still, Serenade and the merfolk were bound to arrive soon.

Would they find their way?

Or would they, too, wander aimlessly in this disorienting cave, unable to provide aid?

Jinchul-hyung tried to reassure us, “When have we ever relied on NPCs? We’ve always handled things ourselves.”

Suddenly, I realized that I had a question for myself.

“Elena!”

“Yes? You don’t need to shout; I can hear you.”

“No, speak loudly at all times. It helps us sense each other better.”

“Then you should talk even louder.”

“Before we woke you, we spoke with Serenade. She immediately tried to kill me.”

“What? Should I scold her later?”

“…That won’t be necessary. But what ability did she use? Do you know?”

As her “sister”, Elena might know.

My guess was half right.

“Each Daughter of the Sea God awakened different abilities. Liringanaur discovered the power to command special sea creatures, while Serenade gained the Eyes of Petrification.”

The Eyes of Petrification.

“It doesn’t physically turn people to stone. But it immobilizes their entire body as if they were petrified.”

Ahri tilted her head in curiosity.

“Full paralysis? Based on Kain’s danger alert, it felt more like instant death.”

“That’s because the heart also becomes paralyzed. For reference, my ‘Ominous Imagination’ ability is also attributed to the Sea God in this scenario.”

Serenade’s Eyes of Petrification were absurdly dangerous.

A single glance could freeze the entire body, stop the heart, and cause instant death.

Jinchul-hyung quickly asked “Is there any weakness to exploit? Can it target multiple people at once? Can it be overcome with sheer strength?”

“It’s hard to overcome with strength. And no, it can’t be used on multiple people at the same time.”

Ahri immediately added, “Do we need to directly make eye contact with Serenade for it to work? Or does it activate just by her looking at us?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know about that part.”

We still couldn’t fully trust that Serenade was on our side.

It seemed the others shared the same thoughts, preparing countermeasures for her threatening power just in case we had to confront her.

It’s not an easy situation.

Possession?

As I had experienced many times, it was no universal solution.

In the Cursed Room, my Possession didn’t work on high-level entities.

Serenade and Lee Suho definitely fell into that category.

Avoid her gaze?

Not even the fastest among us, Jinchul-hyung, could manage that.

Hands might be quicker than eyes, but the body as a whole could never outpace a shifting gaze.

However, if the ability’s activation relied on “eye contact”, there was one person among us uniquely suited to handle it.

“If worse comes to worst, I’ll use my bracelet.”

Using an illusion to confuse Serenade might be a good solution. That thought eased my mind a little.

Just then, another notification appeared.

Advice: 2 → 1

Shout with all your might!

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

I let out an unrestrained scream.

My roar startled everyone, but amid the chaos, an eerie voice whispered through the echo, “Ra-Ka-Sit—how did you know?”

Grandpa swiftly pulled a small object from his pocket and tossed it upward.

Suddenly, the entire cavern was as bright as daylight.

A flare?

When did he pack that?

The immense cavern came into view.

On a small bridge at the far end stood a man in tattered clothes, peering down at us.

“Ha! To think we’d meet face-to-face like this. Welcome, esteemed guests from the Administration—”

“Shut your trap! You’re already casting another curse?!”

“What? Such harsh words from someone so close to death. And ‘another curse’? Whatever do you mean?”

“The curse at the bridge when we entered the island—that was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But honestly, does it matter? We’re not exactly here to laugh and chat—”

- Bang!

The doctor’s gunshot echoed, signaling the start of the fight.

At the same time, an overwhelming, otherworldly presence flooded the cave.

***

- Thud!

In the cramped cave, I rolled my massive body, crushing something next to me.

That made three.

A sudden twinge of pain shot through my head, so I slammed it against the ceiling.

A squelching noise followed as a slimy substance splattered from above.

Something bit into my side.

But compared to the sheer size of this body, it was like a kitten biting an elephant.

Scoffing, I rolled my body again, and the sensation was like squashing a bug under my thumb.

Ha! Who would’ve thought this fight would be so easy?

What once seemed like an enormous, menacing cave now felt as narrow as an anthill.

All because I had taken over the body of a gigantic sea serpent, big enough to crush humans under the flick of its tail.

“You damned freak! Avrathas! What the hell are you doing?”

Hearing Lee Suho’s furious scream only fueled my satisfaction.

Is there anything more delightful than the sound of your enemy’s frustration?

Since acquiring the Grimoire, I’ve rarely felt this level of joy.

It’s as if they’ve handed me a powerful weapon by presenting a brute beast as my opponent.

- Crack!

There was one problem, though: I’d never lived as a snake before, and controlling this body wasn’t easy.

The most I could do was wiggle clumsily, using instinct instead of limbs.

Even so, that alone was enough to crush the other monsters Lee Suho had summoned.

Realizing he was outmatched, Lee Suho started to flee.

This introduced a second problem—I wasn’t adept at moving fast in this body.

Should I abandon possession?

42:43

*

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I hesitated.

Right now, this serpent’s body was our greatest asset.

But if I returned to my original body, we’d have to face this monstrous snake ourselves—a daunting prospect.

Just then, something light landed on my head.

“Han~ Ka~ In!!! Can you hear me?”

I could, but answering wasn’t an option—snakes couldn’t speak after all.

Instead, I tilted my head to indicate I understood.

“We’ll take care of your body and follow Suho! You deal with that snake! But don’t just abandon Possession recklessly! Wrestling a colossal monster in a cave is the last thing we need!”

With that, my teammates took off after Lee Suho.

…Left alone, I pondered my next move.

How can I make this serpent’s body “self-destruct”?

Should I just bash it into the walls repeatedly?

But what if the cave collapses and leaves us trapped inside?

***

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